Latest SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

* = MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH

Junior Wells’ Chicago Blues Band - Hoodoo Man Blues - Analogue Productions Published on March 15, 2010 Played on a high-end CD player without SACD capability, much of the breathiness of Wells’ vocals and harmonica playing is left out.
BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Major - after Violin Concerto Op. 77 (Arr. by Dejan Lazic); Two Rhapsodies Op. 79; Scherzo in E-flat minor Op. 4 - Dejan Lazic, piano/Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/Robert Spano - Channel Classics Published on March 15, 2010 A world premiere of the Third Brahms piano concerto.
Postwar Sounds, Switzerland – ROLF LIEBERMANN: Furioso; RICHARD STRAUSS: Metamorphosen; ARTHUR HONEGGER: Symphony No. 3 (Symphonie liturgique) – Philharmonisches Orchester Lübeck/ Roman Brogli-Sacher – Musicaphon Published on March 11, 2010 The Liebermann is the real ear-opener here. A student of twelve-tone composer Wladimir Vogel, Swiss composer Rolf Liebermann wrote in a variety of styles, including a light-classical vein.
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 “Choral” - Christiane Oelze, soprano/Petra Lang, alto/Klaus Florian Vogt, tenor/Matthias Goerne, baritone/Deutsche Kammerchor/The Deutschephilharmonie Bremen/Paavo Jarvi - RCA Published on March 10, 2010 Paavo Jarvi embraces the original metronome marks for this inscription, a wild exquisitely chaste reading of the first order.
CARL MARIA VON WEBER: Clarinet Quintet in B Major Op. 34; SIGISMUND NEUKOMM: Clarinet Quintet in B Major Op. 8 – Eric Hoeprich, clarinet/ Ensemble Les Adieux – NCA Published on March 10, 2010 I have nothing but praise for the playing of Eric Hoeprich, principle clarinetist in one of my favorite period-instrument groups, the Orchestra of the 18th Century.
HAYDN: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 76 No. 2 (“Fifths”); String Quartet in C Major Op. 76 No. 3 (“Emperor”); String Quartet in B Major Op. 76 No. 4 (“Sunrise”) – Gewandhaus-Quartett – NCA Published on March 10, 2010 The Op. 76 and 77 Quartets represent the pinnacle of Haydn’s achievement in a medium he pioneered, and Op. 76 No. 2 is arguably the finest of all.
CLARA SCHUMANN –Trio in G Minor Op. 17; ROBERT SCHUMANN –Trio in G Minor Op. 110; WOLFGANG RIHM – Fremde Szene III – Boulanger Trio – Ars Produktion Published on March 03, 2010 The Clara Schumann and Robert Schumann trios make real sense as discmates, sharing the same key and of course many other elements that are natural to this famous husband-and-wife team.
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58; Piano Concerto No.5 in E Flat Major, Op. 73 – Olli Mustonen, piano/ Tapiola Sinfonietta – Ondine Published on March 03, 2010 In the Beethoven Fourth Concerto, Mustonen presented himself as a pianist with self-assurance and a consistency in style.
BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 8 in C Minor (First Version, 1887) – Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra/ Simone Young – Oehms Classics Published on March 03, 2010 This live performance on the 1887 version of Bruckner’s Eighth is a gigantic edifice of beauty, conviction, and originality.
OLE OLSEN: Asgaardsreien Op.10; Symphony in G Op. 5; Suite for string orchestra, Op. 60 – Latvian National Symphony / Terje Mikkelsen – Sterling Published on February 26, 2010 Very pleasant byways of Norwegian Romanticism.
HANS SITT: Drei Fantasiestücke, Op. 58; ERNST NAUMANN: Drei Fantasiestücke, Op. 5; REINECKE: Drei Fantasiestücke, Op. 43; GADE: Fantasiestücke, Op. 43; SCHUMANN: Fantasiestücke, Op. 73 – Ilya Hoffman, viola,/Sergey Koudriakov, piano – Caro Mitis Published on February 26, 2010 This recording centers on one of the most durable and characteristic traditions of 19th-century German Romanticism, the Fantasiestück or fantasy piece.
IGOR STRAVINSKY: Apollon musagète; Pulcinella Suite - Chamber Orchestra of Europe/Alexander Janiczek - Linn Published on February 25, 2010 For string orchestra, it uses almost entirely diatonic harmony, with none of the odd chromaticism of much Stravinsky.
CHICK COREA: Children’s Songs Nos. 1 - 20 (Arr. by Thomas Schindl) - Blue Chamber Quartet - Stockfisch Published on February 25, 2010 The arrangements are subtle and tasteful in expanding the simple but lovely melodies of each of the songs into quartet or quintet form.
RACHMANINOFF: Six Etudes Tableaux; MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition, A Night on the Bald Mountain (arr. Rimsky-Korsakov) – Sa Chen, piano – Pentatone Classics Published on February 25, 2010 Chen Sa offers unpretentious coloring to Russian gems.
SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 4 in C minor, D. 417 “Tragic,” and Symphony No. 5 in B flat, D. 485 – Netherlands Chamber Orchestra/ Gordan Nikolić – PentaTone Classics Published on February 25, 2010 Lovely playing but a rather soft-grained romantic approach to Schubert’s echt-classical early symphonies.
ROBERT SCHUMANN: Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 47; Piano Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 44 - Peter Orth, piano/Auryn Quartet - Tacet Published on February 25, 2010 The Real Surround Sound DVD-Audio disc version of the standard CD we reviewed earlier.
MAHLER: Symphony No. 7 in e – Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich/ David Zinman – RCA Published on February 24, 2010 Zinman proceeds apace with one of the best in his ongoing series.
JOHN HAMMOND - Rough & Tough - John Hammond, guitar - Chesky Records Published on February 24, 2010 This record has such an authentic feel, it can’t possibly disappoint a true blues fan.
MAHLER: Kindertotenlieder; Five Ruckertlieder; Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen – Klaus Mertens, bass-baritone/ Mutare Ensemble/ Gerhard Muller-Hornbach, leader – NCA Published on February 23, 2010 Small forces but large impact in this well-reasoned recording.
Regeneration = STEPHEN LYMAN: Prelude; 3 Sketches caracteristiques; Regeneration suite; 2 Etudes; Solitaire; Winter has come early; TAKEMITSU: All in Twilight; BARTOK: 3 selections from 44 Duets for 2 violins – Stephen Lyman, guitar – IsoMike Published on February 22, 2010 An audiophile dilemma—fantastic sound and so-so music.
JOHN SHEPPARD: "Media vita" = Gaude, gaude, gaude Maria; The Lord’s Prayer; I give you a new commandment; Media vita; Christ rising again; Haste thee, O God; Te Deum – Stile Antico – Harmonia mundi Published on February 22, 2010 Stile Antico continues their creation of fabulous music making.
MOZART: Piano Quartets in g and E-flat – Mozart Piano Quartet – MD&G Published on February 22, 2010 Good performances with sound not quite as expected.
OTHMAR SCHOECK: Elegie, Op. 36 – Klaus Mertens, bass-baritone/ Mutare Ensemble/ Gerhard Muller-Hornbach, leader – NCA Published on February 22, 2010 Fine performances of a work of questionable veracity.
FRANCIS POULENC: Secular Choral Music = Chansons francais; Chanson a boire; Sept chansons; Petites voix; Un soir de neige; Figure humaine - Norddeutscher Figuralchor/Jorge Straube - MD&G Published on February 19, 2010 “Our (French) composers, too, write profound music, but when they do, it is leavened with that lightness of spirit without which life would be unendurable.”...Poulenc
Symphonies from the 18th Century Court of Orange in The Hague = by FRANCESCO ZAPPA; FRIEDRICH SCHWINDL, CARL STAMITZ, MOZART - Soloists/New Dutch Academy Orch./Simon Murphy - PentaTone Published on February 18, 2010 These composers are said to balance visionary 18th century enlightened elegance with the raw energy of being the “rock ‘n roll” of its day!
Bolivian Baroque: Music from the Missions and La Plata, Vol. 3 – James Johnstone, organ/ Florilegium/ Arakaendar Bolivia Choir/ Ashley Solomon, director – Channel Classics Published on February 17, 2010 Volume 3 brings more delights as the Bolivian underbrush is again mined for music.
ARNOLD SCHOENBERG: 5 Orchesterstucke Op. 16; 6 lieder Op. 8; Notturno (1896)/ J. S. BACH (arr. by Arnold Schoenberg 1929) Prelude and Fugue BWV 552 - Manuela Uhl, soprano/ Beethoven Orchester Bonn/ Stefan Blunier - MD&G Published on February 17, 2010 The results of the arrangement are Bach-Schoenberg. This is dramatic music, Bach with adrenaline.
KAIJA SAARIAHO: L’Amour de loin – Daniel Belcher (Jaufre Rudel)/ Ekaterina Lekhina (Clemence)/ Marie-Ange Todorvitvh (Le Pelerin)/ Berlin Radio Choir/ German Symphony Orchestra Berlin/ Kent Nagano – Harmonia mundi (2 discs) Published on February 17, 2010 A masterpiece? Not sure, but it is certainly close.
HAYDN: The Complete String Quartets Vol.1 of 14 - Op. 1 Nos.1 - 6 - Auryn String Quartet - single Tacet DVD-A Published on February 15, 2010 These exemplary performances on a single high-resolution DVD-A provide strong advocacy for the earliest Haydn string quartets.
HAYDN: The Complete String Quartets Vol. 6 of 14 - Op. 33 Nos.1 - 6 - Auryn String Quartet - single Tacet DVD-A Published on February 15, 2010 The Auryn String Quartet provides a fine recording of the seminal Haydn Op.33 complete quartets on a single high-resolution DVD-A.
HANDEL: Acis and Galatea - Soloists/ Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra/ Martin Haselbock, conductor - NCA (2 SACDs) Published on February 15, 2010 This exemplary recording is a superb realization of Handel’s wondrous pastoral opera.
RAVEL: Daphnis et Chloé (complete ballet music) - Boston Symphony Orchestra/Tanglewood Festival Chorus/James Levine - BSO Classics Published on February 12, 2010 This one bests the two previous BSO hi-res recordings of Daphnis et Chloé in many different areas.
GUILLAUME CONNESSON: Cosmic Trilogy = Aleph; Une lueur dans l’age sombre; Supernova; The Shining One (Piano Concerto) - Eric Le Sage, p. (Shining One)/ Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Stéphane Deneve - Chandos Published on February 10, 2010 This SACD will bear many repeat hearings to mine the imaginative blend of musical strands woven into these works.
“The Power of the Orchestra” = MOUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition; A Night on Bare Mountain - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/René Leibowitz - Sony Music/Analog Production Published on February 08, 2010 While both conductors amp up the dramatic elements of the work, Reiner’s just sounds more musical, and it benefits from three-channel reproduction.
MAHLER: Symphony No. 3 - Norma Procter, contralto/Ambrosian Singers/Wandsworth School Boys’ Choir/ London Sym. Orch./ Jascha Horenstein MAHLER: Symphony No. 7 - Royal Concertgebouw/ Orch., Amersterdam/ Bernard Haitink - - both HDTT 96/24 DVD-Rs Published on February 07, 2010 This time both the DVD-R and the vinyl original had similar qualities of “air” around the instruments.
Audiens = Works of WHITACRE, DYRUD, CHRISTOPHERSEN, LAURIDSEN, REHNQVIST - Schola Cantorum/Nordic Voices/Tone Bianca Dahl - 2L Published on February 05, 2010 Choral lovers and all others will need to acquire this spectacularly recorded disc.
Istanbul: Dimitrie Cantemir, “The Book of the Science of Music” and the Sephardic and Armenian musical traditions – Hesperion XXI/ Jordi Savall, director – AliaVox Published on February 03, 2010 Savall finally hits downtown Istanbul at its Ottoman peak.
* SCHOENBERG: Gurrelieder – Stig Andersen/ Soile Isokoski / Monica Groop/ Ralf Lukas / Andreas Conrad/ Barbara Sukowa/ Philharmonia Voices/ City of Birmingham Sym. Chorus/ Philharmonia Orch./Esa-Pekka Salonen - Signum (2 discs) Published on February 03, 2010 ********* MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH ******** Best-ever Gurrelieder? If it’s not, it’s close!
MAHLER: Symphony No. 9 - Bamberger Symphony/ Jonathan Nott - Tudor Published on February 02, 2010 I cannot praise this recording highly enough. It presents the majesty of the Mahler 9th with near perfection.
MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition – Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/ Mariss Jansons – RCO Live Published on February 02, 2010 Sterling Mussorgsky from Amsterdam, but couldn’t there have been more?
VARIOUS COMPOSERS: Praeludien für die heilige Weihnachtszeit (Preludes for Holy Christmastide) - Johannes Strobl, Great Organ of the Abbey Church of Muri [TrackList below] – Audite Published on January 31, 2010 Not a disc for playing only during a couple of weeks in December, it collects together music by eight 18th and 19th century central European composers as well as three pieces by anonymous writers.
MAHLER: Symphony No.7 – Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra/ Mariss Jansons – BR Klassik Published on January 31, 2010 This live performance from the Philharmonie im Gasteig in Munich can certainly provide a close approximation to why this ensemble remains one of the most celebrated on the concert platform today.
STRAVINSKY: Pulcinella; Symphony In Three Movements; Four Etudes - Roxana Constantinescu, mezzo/Nicholas Phan, tenor/ Kyle Ketelsen, bass-baritone/Chicago Symphony Orchestra/ Pierre Boulez - CSO-Resound Published on January 27, 2010 These are the perfect Stravinsky works to benefit from Pierre Boulez’ baton - strongly neo-classic, very dry and precise, and that is the conducting style of Boulez.
JOHN WARD: Consort Music for Five and Six Viols – Phantasm – Linn Records Published on January 21, 2010 Award-winning Phantasm is just the group to bring Ward’s leisurely consort music to life.
MAHLER: Symphony No. 7 – Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra / Mariss Jansons – BR Klassik Published on January 18, 2010 There is no shortage of first-class recordings of this Mahler symphony, even on SACD, but this one is surely equal to the best of them.
* BEETHOVEN: Symphonies Nos. 2 and 6 – German Chamber Philharmonic, Bremen/ Paavo Jarvi – Sony/RCA Red Seal Published on January 18, 2010 ********* MULTICHANNEL DISC OF THE MONTH ********
MANUEL DE FALLA: Spanish Dance from La Vida Breve; El Amor Brujo; 3 Excerpts from The Three-Cornered Hat; Seven Popular Spanish Songs; Homenaje; Your Small Black Eyes - The Katona Twins, guitars, with sop. & percussion - Channel Classics Published on January 17, 2010 The resultant transformation of the gypsy ballet is quite amazing.
MENDELSSOHN: 2 Piano Trios; Trio for piano, violin and cello; Lied ohne Worte for cello and piano; Albumblatt für Julius Rietz - Alte Musik Köln with Tobias Koch, piano - Ars Production Published on January 15, 2010 The performers inject the usual Romantic tradition with a series of musical injections, Brahms instead of Botox, which restore its youthful energy and good looks.

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